>>12369554If there's a single difference I've noticed between doing student research, academic work, and professional work in the United States compared to Europe, it's that researchers and students in the US seem to have a lot more independence and freedom to pursue their work at the pace they're comfortable with and in the direction they're interested in. You're still obviously expected to make progress in a timely manner, produce high quality work, and not go tumbling down a rabbit hole, but you never feel your adviser/PI/supervisor/etc is looking over your shoulder, checking your work, or cracking the whip to keep you moving at a set pace, which was something I experienced a lot of in Europe.
